ELIZABETHTOWN (PA) – Delaware Valley College seniors Charlie Frankel and Eric McCann captured their first Metropolitan Conference titles and will advance to the NCAA Division III Championships for the first time in their careers. They will be joined by fellow senior Zak Andrews, who placed second and earned a wild-card bid to nationals for the second year in a row.

Delaware Valley, which had six placewinners on the day, finished tied with The College of New Jersey (ranked 30th in Division III) for sixth place out of nine squads with 75.5 points. Centenary College (23rd) edged York College (ranked 15th) by half a point (111 to 110.5) to successfully defend its Metropolitan Conference title. Wilkes University (19th), host Elizabethtown College (22nd) and Hunter College rounded out the top five.

Frankel (125) and McCann (133) entered the Metropolitan Conference Championships with identical 20-8 records and in search of standing at the top spot on the podium. Both reached that goal with three wins apiece and they, along with Andrews (149), will now prepare for the NCAAs, which will be held at the University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse on March 9 and 10.

Frankel was the third seed at 125 and he opened with a 10-0 blanking of sixth-seeded Joe DiCarlo (College of New Jersey). He then dropped No. 2 Joey Giaccio (York) midway through the second period (4:00) to advance to the finals against fifth-seeded Chris Parker of Centenary.

Parker pinned Frankel in the first period in an earlier meeting this year. However, Sunday belonged to Frankel as he built a 13-3 lead before putting Parker on the mat in the third (6:18) for the pin, the Metro title and the NCAA bid.  

McCann opened as the top seed in the 133-pound bracket and he advanced to the semifinals with a 21-5, technical fall victory over unseeded Travis Boardman (King's). McCann then reached his first final with a 9-3 decision over No. 4 Ryan Gerondel (Hunter) in the semis.

McCann faced two-time national qualifier and third-seeded Dan Herr of The College of New Jersey in the finals. Herr reached the NCAAs at 133 pounds, but wrestled most of this season at 141 before moving back down. The two were tied at 1-1 in the third when Herr was called for an illegal choke with under a minute a go to give McCann a penalty point. McCann then held off Herr at the end for a 2-1 victory and the championship. 

Andrews, who placed fifth at the NCAA Championships last year, entered this year's Metros as the number two ranked wrestler in Division III at 149 pounds. He reached the finals thanks to a 12-7 victory over eighth-seeded Jordan Moser (Elizabethtown) and a 7-5 decision over fourth-seeded Christian Mazzochi (King's).

In the finals, Andrews faced Anthony Dattolo of Wilkes, who is ranked fifth in Division III. Dattolo led 6-4 after the first period and Andrews earned the lone point of the second with an escape. Dattolo escaped early in the third for a two-point advantage. Both wrestlers nearly had takedowns near the edge of the mat in the final moments, but Dattolo held on for the victory. Andrews will take a 28-3 record to the NCAAs.

Seniors Donald Smith placed fourth at 165 pounds while senior 197-pounder Chris James and junior 157-pounder Emmanuel Ajagbe took fifth and sixth respectively.

Smith was the fifth seed in his weight class and he began the day with a 2-0 blanking of No. 4 Kenneth Murphy (College of NJ). That put him in the semifinals against top-seeded Quint Eno (Elizabethtown) and he was pinned in 78 seconds. Smith bounced back by dropping sixth-seeded Jesse Bader (Hunter) to earn a spot in the consolation finals. It was a rematch with Murphy and Smith fell by a 6-2 decision to end the year with a 17-17 mark.

James joined the team for the first time after a standout four-year career as a linebacker on the Aggie championship football team. He was unseeded for the Metros and fell into the consolation bracket with a 12-4, quarterfinal loss to third-seeded Bill Meaney (Elizabethtown). James regrouped with a 10-8 decision over Stephen Kaiser (Scranton) before a 10-2 loss to No. 4 Dave Oberrender (Wilkes). That put James in the fifth-sixth place match where he notched a 9-5 triumph over No. 5 Jeff Goldhagen to finish 6-8.

Ajagbe, a 2010 national qualifier, advanced to the semifinals as the No. 3 seed had a 15-1 major decision over Gordon Custer and a 7-1 victory over sixth-seeded Zach Sheridan (Elizabethtown). He dropped an 8-3 decision to No.2 John Darling (College of NJ) and followed with a 7-4 setback to No. 4 Matt Ellery (Wilkes) before defaulting the placement match. Ajagbe wrapped up the year with a 19-7 mark. 

James DeLillo, Alec Horan, Kyle Tufts and Mike Boardman competed for Delaware Valley but did not place at the tournament. DeLillo, a sophomore, was seeded sixth at 141 pounds and was pinned by third-seeded Ryan Wilson (Wilkes) in 2:50 of the quarterfinal match. DeLillo (14-17) was then eliminated with a 5-3 overtime loss to No. 7 Kevin Guenther (Scranton) in the consolation bracket.

Horan (7-16) was unseeded at 174 pounds and the sophomore dropped a 13-4 major decision to top-seeded Julian Meaney (Elizabethtown) in the preliminaries. He earned a 7-0 decision over Peter Kinsella (College of NJ) in the consolation bracket before falling 3-2 to sixth-seeded Khalid Shakir (Centenary).

Tufts (13-13) was the sixth seed in a talent-filled 184-pound bracket. The senior opened with a 4-3 loss to unseeded Alan Djovic (Hunter) in the preliminaries, and followed with a 7-4 setback to No. 4 Buddy Gouger (Wilkes) in the consolations. 

Boardman (4-9), a freshman, was unseeded at heavyweight and he suffered a 6-2 loss to No. 2 George Saliba (York) in his opening match. That dropped him into the consolation bracket where his season ended with a 4-1 loss to sixth-seeded William Fletcher (Wilkes).

 
2012 METROPOLITAN CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS - TEAM STANDINGS
1.  Centenary College… 111.0 points
2. York College… 110.5 points
3. Wilkes University… 103.0 points
4. Elizabethtown College… 91.5 points
5. Hunter College… 86.5 points
6.  Delaware Valley College… 75.5 points
6.  The College of New Jersey… 75.5 points
8. King's College… 50.0 points
9. University of Scranton… 5.0 points

HOW DELAWARE VALLEY COLLEGE WRESTLERS FARED
125 pounds – Charlie Frankel (Morganville, NJ/Marlboro) – Seeded 3rd
Championship Quarterfinals: Won by major decision over #6 Joe DiCarlo (TCNJ), 10-0
Championship Semifinals: Won by fall over #2 Joey Giaccio (York), 4:00
Championship Finals: Won by fall over #5 Chris Parker (Centenary), 6:18
- Frankel, a senior, wins his first conference title and will advance to the NCAA Division III Championships for the first time. He is 23-8 on the year.

133 pounds – Eric McCann (Hatfield, PA/Pennridge) – Seeded 1st
Championship Quarterfinals: Won by technical fall over Travis Boardman (King's), 21-5; 6:40
Championship Semifinals: Won by decision over Ryan Gerondel (Hunter), 9-3
Championship Finals: Won by decision over #3 Dan Herr (TCNJ), 2-1
- McCann, a senior, wins his first conference title and will advance to the NCAA Division III Championships for the first time. He is 23-8 on the season.

141 pounds – James DeLillo (Clifton, NJ/Clifton) – Seeded 6th
Championship Quarterfinals: Lost by fall to #3 Ryan Wilkes (Wilkes), 2:50     
Consolation First Round: Bye
Consolation Quarterfinals: Lost by decision to #7 Kevin Guenther (Scranton), 5-3 SV
- DeLillo, a sophomore, finishes his season with a 14-17 record -

149 pounds – Zak Andrews (Emmaus, PA/Emmaus) – Seeded 1st
Championship Quarterfinals: Won by decision over #8 Jordan Moser (Etown), 12-7
Championship Semifinals: Won by decision over #4 Christian Mazzochi (King's), 7-5
Championship Finals: Lost by decision to #2 Anthony Dattolo (Wilkes), 7-5
- Andrews, a senior and returning All-American, places second at the Metros and earns a wild-card bid to the NCAAs for the second year in a row. He is now 28-3 on the season. -

157 pounds – Emmanuel Ajagbe (Bogota, NJ/Bogota) – Seeded 3rd
Championship Preliminaries: Won by major decision over Gordan Custer (King's), 15-1
Championship Quarterfinals: Won by decision over #6 Zach Sheridan (Etown), 7-1
Championship Semifinals: Lost by decision to #2 John Darling (TCNJ), 8-3
Consolation Semifinals: Lost by decision to #4 Matt Ellery (Wilkes), 7-4
Fifth-Sixth Place Match: Lost by default to #5 Matt Cartusciello (Hunter)
- Ajagbe, a junior, places sixth at the Metros and finishes the season with a 19-7 record -

165 pounds – Donald Smith (Ambler, PA/Hatboro-Horsham) – Seeded 5th
Championship Quarterfinals: Won by decision over #4 Kenneth Murphy (TCNJ), 2-0 
Championship Semifinals: Lost by fall to #1 Quint Eno (Etown), 1:18
Consolation Semifinals: Won by fall over #6 Jesse Bader (Hunter), 3:00
Consolation Finals: Lost by decision to #4 Kenneth Murphy (TCNJ), 6-2
- Smith, a senior, placed fourth at the Metros and finishes the season with a 17-17 record -

174 pounds – Alec Horan (Bryn Athyn, PA/Bryn Athyn) – Unseeded
Championship Preliminaries: Lost by major decision to #1 Julian Meaney (Etown), 13-4
Consolation First Round: Won by decision over Peter Kinsella (TCNJ), 7-0
Consolation Quarterfinals: Lost by decision to #6 Khalid Shakir (Centenary), 3-2
- Horan, a sophomore, finishes his season with a 7-16 record -

184 pounds – Kyle Tufts (Randolph, NJ/Randolph) – Seeded 6th
Championship Preliminaries: Lost by decision to Alan Djovic (Hunter), 4-3       
Consolation First Round: Lost by decision to #4 Buddy Gouger (Wilkes), 7-4
- Tufts, a senior, finishes his season with a 13-13 record -

197 pounds – Chris James (Philadelphia, PA/Northeast Catholic) – Unseeded
Championship Quarterfinals: Lost by major decision over #3 Bill Meaney (Etown), 12-4
Consolation First Round: Bye
Consolation Quarterfinals: Won by fall over Stephen Kaiser (Scranton), 1:08
Consolation Semifinals: Lost by major decision to #4 Dave Overrender (Wilkes), 10-2
Fifth-Sixth Place Match: Won by decision over #5 Jeff Goldhagen (York), 9-5
- James, a senior, places fifth at the Metros and finishes the season with a 6-8 record -

285 pounds – Mike Boardman (Madison, NJ/Madison) – Unseeded
Championship Quarterfinals: Lost by decision to #2 George Saliba (York), 6-2     
Consolation First Round: Bye
Consolation Quarterfinals: Lost by decision to #6 William Fletcher (Wilkes), 4-1
- Boardman, a freshman, finishes his season with a 4-9 record -